A wealth of chess drama was packed into a relatively short event in the second London Chess Classic held in December. Current world champion and top ranked player Viswanathan Anand (India), his heir apparent and world number two Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and Anand's predecessor as world champion and world number four Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) headed the field. They were joined in the seven-round all-play-all by top ranked US player Hikaru Nakamura and the top four British grandmasters: Michael Adams, Nigel Short, Luke McShane and David Howell. The relatively wide spread of strength and the scoring system of 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw meant that aggressive play was necessary to achieve first and so it ensued.
McShane sensationally beat Carlsen and Short in the first two rounds to take the lead, while Kramnik was upset by Nakamura in round 2. Anand caught up with McShane in round four after inflicting Carlsen's second defeat. Then Carslen joined then in round 5 by exploiting the scoring system with 3 wins and 2 losses. The key round was round 6 when all games were drawn, but Carlsen pulled off a miracle escape against Kramnik to lead on tie-break going into the final round with White against the out-of-form Short. Carlsen duly beat Short to finish first on 13 points (+4, =1, -2) ahead of McShane and Anand on 11 points (both +2 =5). Then came Nakamura and Kramnik on 10 (+2, =4, -1), Adams 8 (+1, =5, -1), Howell 4 (=4, -3) and Short 2 (=2, -5).
Today's game is the first round loss by Carlsen, who took risks in playing for winning chances with Black and was brilliantly punished by McShane.
1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.O-O Nh6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Bxh6 Bxh6 9.Nxd4 Ne5!? White's choice of the solid English Opening has provoked this risky alternative to 9...Bd7 or 9... Nxd4. Black's two bishops and extra centre pawn give him good long-term chances, but only if White's queenside initiative runs out. 10.Qb3 O-O 11.Rfd1 Nd7 12.Qa3! a5 13.b4 Ra6 14.b5 Ra8 15.e3! --- Having exploited the a-file pin to push b2-b4-b5, White pauses to consolidate in the centre. 15.--- a4 16.Rab1 Bg7 17.Ne4! Qb6 18.Nc6! Re8 White is angling to push c4-c5 and if here 18...bxc6? then 19 bxc6 Qc7 (19...Qxc6?? 20 Nf6+) 20 cxd7 Bxd7 21 c5! is exactly the opening up of the queenside that he wants. After White's next move the well placed knight on e4 finally forces a weakening advance from Black. 19.Nb4 f5 20.Nc3 Qc5?! After the game Carlsen preferred 20...e6 when White cannot grab the a-pawn as easily as in the game. 21.Nxa4! Qa7 22.Na6! bxa6 23.b6 Nxb6 If 23... Qb8 then White makes use of the open black king by 24 Qb3! Kh8 (25 c5+ can't be allowed) 25 Bxa8 Qxa8 26 b7 winning. 24.Rxb6 Rb8 25.c5! --- Forcing decisive penetration into the Black position. 25.--- Be6 26.Rdb1 dxc5 27.Rb7 Rxb7 28.Rxb7 Qa8 29.Nxc5 Qc8 30.Qxa6 Bf7 31.Bc6 Rd8 32.Nd7! Rxd7!? White threatened 33 Qb6 followed by 34 Rb8 and if 32...Be6 33 Qb6 Bxd7 34 Bxd7 Qa8 35 Be6+ Kh8 36 Bd5! Qc8 37 Rc7 Qb8 38 Qxb8 Rxb8 39 Rxe7 is clearly winning due to the passed a-pawn, so Black sacrifices to get rid of it. 33.Bxd7 Qc1+ 34.Qf1 Qxf1+ 35.Kxf1 Bc4+ 36.Kg1 Bxa2 37.Ba4! e5 38.f3! Bh6 39.Bb3+ Resigns Having averted the possibility of 38... e4 with a strong defensive pawn chain, the rook versus bishop ending after 39 ...Bxb3 40 Rxb3 is an easy technical win for White.
Heavyweight showdown in London
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
A wealth of chess drama was packed into a relatively short event in the second London Chess Classic held in December. Current world champion and top ranked player Viswanathan Anand (India), his heir apparent and world number two Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and Anand's predecessor as world champion and world number four Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) headed the field. They were joined in the seven-round all-play-all by top ranked US player Hikaru Nakamura and the top four British grandmasters: Michael Adams, Nigel Short, Luke McShane and David Howell. The relatively wide spread of strength and the scoring system of 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw meant that aggressive play was necessary to achieve first and so it ensued.
McShane sensationally beat Carlsen and Short in the first two rounds to take the lead, while Kramnik was upset by Nakamura in round 2. Anand caught up with McShane in round four after inflicting Carlsen's second defeat. Then Carslen joined then in round 5 by exploiting the scoring system with 3 wins and 2 losses. The key round was round 6 when all games were drawn, but Carlsen pulled off a miracle escape against Kramnik to lead on tie-break going into the final round with White against the out-of-form Short. Carlsen duly beat Short to finish first on 13 points (+4, =1, -2) ahead of McShane and Anand on 11 points (both +2 =5). Then came Nakamura and Kramnik on 10 (+2, =4, -1), Adams 8 (+1, =5, -1), Howell 4 (=4, -3) and Short 2 (=2, -5).
Today's game is the first round loss by Carlsen, who took risks in playing for winning chances with Black and was brilliantly punished by McShane.
1.c4 c5
2.g3 g6
3.Bg2 Bg7
4.Nc3 Nc6
5.Nf3 d6
6.O-O Nh6
7.d4 cxd4
8.Bxh6 Bxh6
9.Nxd4 Ne5!?
White's choice of the solid English Opening has provoked this risky alternative to 9...Bd7 or 9... Nxd4. Black's two bishops and extra centre pawn give him good long-term chances, but only if White's queenside initiative runs out.
10.Qb3 O-O
11.Rfd1 Nd7
12.Qa3! a5
13.b4 Ra6
14.b5 Ra8
15.e3! ---
Having exploited the a-file pin to push b2-b4-b5, White pauses to consolidate in the centre.
15.--- a4
16.Rab1 Bg7
17.Ne4! Qb6
18.Nc6! Re8
White is angling to push c4-c5 and if here 18...bxc6? then 19 bxc6 Qc7 (19...Qxc6?? 20 Nf6+) 20 cxd7 Bxd7 21 c5! is exactly the opening up of the queenside that he wants. After White's next move the well placed knight on e4 finally forces a weakening advance from Black.
19.Nb4 f5
20.Nc3 Qc5?!
After the game Carlsen preferred 20...e6 when White cannot grab the a-pawn as easily as in the game.
21.Nxa4! Qa7
22.Na6! bxa6
23.b6 Nxb6
If 23... Qb8 then White makes use of the open black king by 24 Qb3! Kh8 (25 c5+ can't be allowed) 25 Bxa8 Qxa8 26 b7 winning.
24.Rxb6 Rb8
25.c5! ---
Forcing decisive penetration into the Black position.
25.--- Be6
26.Rdb1 dxc5
27.Rb7 Rxb7
28.Rxb7 Qa8
29.Nxc5 Qc8
30.Qxa6 Bf7
31.Bc6 Rd8
32.Nd7! Rxd7!?
White threatened 33 Qb6 followed by 34 Rb8 and if 32...Be6 33 Qb6 Bxd7 34 Bxd7 Qa8 35 Be6+ Kh8 36 Bd5! Qc8 37 Rc7 Qb8 38 Qxb8 Rxb8 39 Rxe7 is clearly winning due to the passed a-pawn, so Black sacrifices to get rid of it.
33.Bxd7 Qc1+
34.Qf1 Qxf1+
35.Kxf1 Bc4+
36.Kg1 Bxa2
37.Ba4! e5
38.f3! Bh6
39.Bb3+ Resigns
Having averted the possibility of 38... e4 with a strong defensive pawn chain, the rook versus bishop ending after 39 ...Bxb3 40 Rxb3 is an easy technical win for White.
1-0
Solution: 1 Bxe5! Rxd7 2 Rf7+ Qg7 3 Rf8#.